Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
Paul Bradford
Question:
21
Mr. Bradford
asked the
Minister for Social Welfare
if he will ensure that measures are taken to enable social welfare applicants who have left short term employment to obtain their entitlement without the delays which often pertain.
I have always given a high priority to the quality of service provided by my Department. Improved service includes the elimination of unnecessary delays in dealing with customers claims. In 1991, I established a regional management structure in my Department giving an improved and localised service to customers. Our services now incorporate the one-stop-shop concept. The main local offices deal with an increasing range of the Department's services with inquiries and claims being dealt with more promptly and efficiently.
Significant progress has been made in improving the time taken to deal with claims for unemployment payments. The average time to investigate claims to unemployment assistance has been reduced in the past year by 66 per cent to eight working days. This very substantial improvement was achieved by the new arrangements for means testing which the 1991 reorganisation permitted. Many unemployed people are now means tested the day they make their application allowing many decisions to be made very quickly.
The average time taken to deal with claims to unemployment benefit has also been reduced; in this case by 14 per cent to six working days, including the normal waiting period at the start of each claim. These averages include cases where difficulties arise in obtaining PRSI records or where there is a need to obtain information from other agencies. Failures by employers to operate the PRSI system properly are frequent causes of delay. The ongoing intensive programme of visits to employers is proving useful in solving this problem.
In general, where repeat claims are made after short periods of employment, decisions are made very quickly if the means testing or other inquiries were completed on the earlier claim. The Deputy's question may imply that he is aware of particular delays. If this is the situation, I would welcome information on such cases and I will have the delays investigated.
Robert Molloy
Question:
22
Mr. Molloy
asked the
Minister for Social Welfare
the reason unemployment assistance is being refused to two Spanish nationals (details supplied) who have being living in Ireland for the past four years and who are currently residing in Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Unemployment assistance has not been refused in the case of the two persons concerned. They are Spanish nationals who have been residing in Ireland for some time and they are currently in receipt of unemployment assistance.
A review of their entitlement was recently initiated to determine whether they continued to satisfy the statutory conditions of being available for and genuinely seeking employment.
Non-nationals, including citizens of EC member states, are required to register with the registration officer (Garda) of the Department of Justice. Deciding officers take the view that unregistered non-nationals are not freely available to accept offers of employment in this country.
The persons concerned were not registered with the aliens office of the Department of Justice. Accordingly, they were informed that, if they did not register, they would no longer be entitled to unemployment assistance because they would not be able to establish that they are freely available for work.
My Department has raised this matter with the Department of Justice. When clarification is obtained a decision will be made on the continued entitlement to unemployment assistance in the two cases.
In the meantime unemployment assistance continues to be paid to the persons concerned.
